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THE FROZEN DEEP
THE FROZEN DEEP
by Wilkie Collins
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THE FROZEN DEEP
First Scene
The Ball…room
Chapter 1。
The date is between twenty and thirty years ago。 The place is an
English sea…port。 The time is night。 And the business of the moment is
dancing。
The Mayor and Corporation of the town are giving a grand ball； in
celebration of the departure of an Arctic expedition from their port。 The
ships of the expedition are two in numberthe _Wanderer_ and the _Sea…
mew_。 They are to sail （in search of the Northwest Passage） on the next
day； with the morning tide。
Honor to the Mayor and Corporation！ It is a brilliant ball。 The band is
complete。 The room is spacious。 The large conservatory opening out of it
is pleasantly lighted with Chinese lanterns； and beautifully decorated with
shrubs and flowers。 All officers of the army and navy who are present
wear their uniforms in honor of the occasion。 Among the ladies； the
display of dresses （a subject which the men don't understand） is
bewilderingand the average of beauty （a subject which the men do
understand） is the highest average attainable； in all parts of the room。
For the moment； the dance which is in progress is a quadrille。 General
admiration selects two of the ladies who are dancing as its favorite objects。
One is a dark beauty in the prime of womanhoodthe wife of First
Lieutenant Crayford； of the _Wanderer_。 The other is a young girl； pale
and delicate； dressed simply in white； with no ornament on her head but
her own lovely brown hair。 This is Miss Clara Burnhaman orphan。 She is
Mrs。 Crayford's dearest friend； and she is to stay with Mrs。 Crayford
during the lieutenant's absence in the Arctic regions。 She is now dancing；
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with the lieutenant himself for partner； and with Mrs。 Crayford and
Captain Helding （commanding officer of the _Wanderer_） for vis…a…visin
plain English； for opposite couple。
The conversation between Captain Helding and Mrs。 Crayford； in one
of the intervals of the dance； turns on Miss Burnham。 The captain is
greatly interested in Clara。 He admires her beauty； but he thinks her
mannerfor a young girlstrangely serious and subdued。 Is she in delicate
health？
Mrs。 Crayford shakes her head； sighs mysteriously； and answers；
〃In _very_ delicate health； Captain Helding。〃
〃Consumptive？〃
〃Not in the least。〃
〃I am glad to hear that。 She is a charming creature； Mrs。 Crayford。 She
interests me indescribably。 If I was only twenty years youngerperhaps （as
I am not twenty years younger） I had better not finish the sentence？ Is it
indiscreet； my dear lady； to inquire what _is_ the matter with her？〃
〃It might be indiscreet； on the part of a stranger；〃 said Mrs。 Crayford。
〃An old friend like you may make any inquiries。 I wish I could tell you
what is the matter with Clara。 It is a mystery to the doctors themselves。
Some of the mischief is due； in my humble opinion； to the manner in
which she has been brought up。〃
〃Ay！ ay！ A bad school； I suppose。〃
〃Very bad； Captain Helding。 But not the sort of school which you have
in your mind at this moment。 Clara's early years were spent in a lonely old
house in the Highlands of Scotland。 The ignorant people about her were
the people who did the mischief which I have just been speaking of。 They
filled her mind with the superstitions which are still respected as truths in
the wild Northespecially the superstition called the Second Sight。〃
〃God bless me！〃 cried the captain； 〃you don't mean to say she believes
in such stuff as that？ In these enlightened times too！〃
Mrs。 Crayford looked at her partner with a satirical smile。
〃In these enlightened times； Captain Helding； we only believe in
dancing tables； and in messages sent from the other world by spirits who
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can't spell！ By comparison with such superstitions as these； even the
Second Sight has somethingin the shape of poetryto recommend it；
surely？ Estimate for yourself；〃 she continued seriously； 〃the effect of such
surroundings as I have described on a delicate； sensitive young creaturea
girl with a naturally imaginative temperament leading a lonely； neglected
life。 Is it so very surprising that she should catch the infection of the
superstition about her？ And is it quite incomprehensible that her nervous
system should suffer accordingly； at a very critical period of her life？〃
〃Not at all； Mrs。 Crayfordnot at all； ma'am； as you put it。 Still it is a little
startling； to a commonplace man like me； to meet a young lady at a ball
who believes in the Second Sight。 Does she really profess to see into the
future？ Am I to understand that she positively falls into a trance； and sees
people in distant countries； and foretells events to come？ That is the
Second Sight； is it not？〃
〃That is the Second Sight； captain。 And that is； really and positively；
what she does。〃
〃The young lady who is dancing opposite to us？〃
〃The young lady who is dancing opposite to us。〃
The captain waited a littleletting the new flood of information which
had poured in on him settle itself steadily in his mind。 This process
accomplished； the Arctic explorer proceeded resolutely on his way to
further discoveries。
〃May I ask； ma'am； if you have ever seen her in a state of trance with
your own eyes？〃 he inquired。
〃My sister and I both saw her in the trance； little more than a month
since；〃 Mrs。 Crayford replied。 〃She had been nervous and irritable all the
morning； and we took her out into the garden to breathe the fresh air。
Suddenly； without any reason for it； the color left her face。 She stood
between us； insensible to touch； insensible to sound； motionless as stone；
and cold as death in a moment。 The first change we noticed came after a
lapse of some minutes。 Her hands began to move slowly； as if she was
groping in the dark。 Words dropped one by one from her lips； in a lost；
vacant tone； as if she was talking in her sleep。 Whether what she said
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referred to past or future I cannot tell you。 She spoke of persons in a
foreign countryperfect strangers to my sister and to me。 After a little
interval； she suddenly became silent。 A momentary color appeared in her
face； and left it again。 Her eyes closedher feet failed herand she sank
insensible into our arms。〃
〃Sank insensible into your arms；〃 repeated the captain； absorbing his
new information。 〃Most extraordinary！ Andin this state of healthshe
goes out to parties； and dances。 More extraordinary still！〃
〃You are entirely mistaken；〃 said Mrs。 Crayford。 〃She is only here to…
night to please me； and she is only dancing to please my husband。 As a
rule； she shuns all society。 The doctor recommends change and amusement
for her。 She won't listen to him。 Except on rare occasions like this； she
persists in remaining at home。〃
Captain Helding brightened at the allusion to the doctor。 Something
practical might be got out of the doctor。 Scientific man。 Sure to see this
very obscure subject under a new light。 〃How does it strike the doctor
now？〃 said the captain。 〃Viewed simply as a Case； ma'am； how does it
strike the doctor？〃
〃He will give no positive opinion；〃 Mrs。 Crayford answered。 〃He told
me that such cases as Clara's were by no means unfamiliar to medical
practice。 'We know；' he told me； 'that certain disordered conditions of the
brain and the nervous sy